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MARKET INTEL by PharmaCompass
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By PharmaCompass
2025-05-29
Impressions: 563 (Article) || 31 (Video)
In news this week, Eli Lilly has placed a billion-dollar bet on non-opioid pain management by acquiring SiteOne Therapeutics for its promising therapy — STC-004. Biogen has struck a potential US$ 1 billion collaboration with RNAi-focused City Therapeutics to develop RNA interference therapies for central nervous system diseases. And five persons have been charged with insider trading in Novartis’ US$ 3.2 billion acquisition of Chinook Therapeutics in 2023.
In the US, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has canceled over US$ 700 million in funding previously allocated to Moderna for the late-stage development of an mRNA-based bird flu vaccine for humans. Additionally, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced that Covid vaccines are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women.
GSK’s Nucala (mepolizumab) got approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Sanofi’s MenQuadfi broke new ground as the first meningococcal vaccine approved by the FDA for infants as young as six weeks.
On the policy front, a federal judge has put the brakes on President Trump's ambitious plans to restructure HHS. Meanwhile, Trump has tapped CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz to spearhead aggressive drug pricing negotiations with pharmaceutical companies.
The fight against superbugs gained momentum as Roche advanced its groundbreaking antibiotic zosurabalpin into phase 3 trials, representing the first new class of Gram-negative antibiotics in over five decades. And Gilead’s Trodelvy achieved a win in triple-negative breast cancer as a monotherapy.
Lilly to acquire SiteOne for US$ 1 bn for its non-opioid pain drug
Eli Lilly has announced the acquisition of SiteOne Therapeutics in a deal valued at up to US$ 1 billion, marking a significant move in the non-opioid pain treatment market. This acquisition provides Lilly with access to STC-004, SiteOne’s experimental non-opioid pain therapy that targets Nav1.8 channels involved in pain signal transmission. These channels belong to the same class that is targeted by Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ recently approved drug, Journavx (suzetrigine).
Biogen in up to US$ 1 bn deal with City Therapeutics: Biogen and City Therapeutics have announced a strategic research collaboration focused on developing RNA interference (RNAi) therapies for central nervous system (CNS) diseases. The deal could be worth up to US$ 1 billion.
Insider trading in Novartis-Chinook deal: Five persons have been charged with an insider trading scheme tied to Novartis’ US$ 3.2 bn acquisition of Chinook Therapeutics. This includes a former director on Chinook’s board, Rouzbeh Haghighat.
HHS cancels over US$ 700 mn in funding for Moderna’s bird flu vaccine
The HHS has canceled over US$ 700 million in funding previously allocated to Moderna for the late-stage development of an mRNA-based bird flu vaccine for humans. This decision includes the termination of a US$ 590 million award granted in January and a US$ 176 million contract from July 2024, both intended to support the advancement of Moderna’s mRNA-1018 vaccine targeting the H5N1 avian influenza strain.
The H5N1 virus is a growing concern in the US, with infections reported in over 1,000 cattle herds across 17 states and at least 70 human cases, primarily among farm workers.
Covid vaccine overhaul: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that Covid vaccines are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women, marking a significant departure from previous federal health guidelines. The decision, made without the customary consultation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, has drawn criticism from medical experts and public health officials.
Last week, FDA had outlined more stringent requirements for the approval of updated Covid-19 vaccines, particularly affecting healthy individuals under the age of 65. The rash of recent policy changes has left the fate of Moderna’s next-gen Covid shot in limbo.
GSK’s Nucala bags FDA nod for eosinophilic COPD; Sanofi’s meningococcal vaccine okayed
GSK’s asthma drug, Nucala (mepolizumab), has received approval from the FDA for use in treating certain patients with COPD. This approval expands Nucala’s use as an add-on maintenance treatment for adults with COPD characterized by an eosinophilic phenotype, who are inadequately controlled on current therapies.
Sanofi’s meningococcal vaccine okayed for infants: FDA has approved Sanofi’s quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine, MenQuadfi, for use in infants starting at six weeks of age. This makes MenQuadfi the first vaccine that protects against the four most common strains of meningococcal bacteria, authorized for such a young age group. The agency also approved Alcon’s treatment for dry eye disease (DED), known as Tryptyr (acoltremon ophthalmic solution).
Federal judge in US halts Trump’s radical transformation of HHS
A federal judge has extended an injunction blocking the Trump administration’s plan to implement mass layoffs and reorganize 22 federal agencies, including the HHS. Judge Susan Illston emphasized that while presidents can set executive policy, large-scale changes require collaboration with Congress.
Mehmet Oz tapped to lead MFN talks: Trump has tapped Mehmet Oz, the current administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), to lead a 30-day negotiation process with pharmaceutical companies aimed at reducing prescription drug prices. This initiative is part of a broader executive order, which mandates that if drugmakers fail to agree to lower prices within the stipulated period, US drug prices will be tied to the lowest rates paid by other countries — a policy known as the “Most Favored Nations” rule.
Roche to begin late-stage testing of antibiotic against superbug
Roche has announced the progression of its investigational antibiotic, zosurabalpin, into phase 3 clinical trials, marking a significant advancement in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. This development is noteworthy as zosurabalpin represents the first new class of antibiotics targeting Gram-negative bacteria in over five decades.
Gilead’s Trodelvy scores late-stage win in breast cancer: Gilead Sciences has announced positive topline results from a phase 3 trial demonstrating that Trodelvy (sacituzumab govitecan-hziy) significantly improves progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with first-line metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) who are not candidates for PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. The study met its primary endpoint, showing a highly statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in PFS compared to standard chemotherapy. This marks the first clinically meaningful advance for this patient population in over two decades.
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